Country 105

Agriculture Report

New Industry for Farmers

Farmers in the not to distant future could become auto part manufacturers in an indirect way.

It's because some of the crops they grow can be converted into bio based material to be used to replace plastic in automotive parts.

University of Guelph Professor Larry Erickson says they have perfected a way to use wheat to replace plastic in car parts.

Other crops that will be used to manufacture car parts include soy and corn.

Erickson says this will help boost Ontario farmers' bottom line.

------

An amateur computer hacker may have put the identity of thousands of farmers at risk.

A report from Canada's privacy commissioner says two government servers at Agriculture Canada with the personal records of 60-thousand farmers were infiltrated last year by a computer hacker using off-the-shelf software.

The report cites three other privacy and security breaches at Agriculture Canada over the last year.

In one instance, a laptop used to administer a federal agriculture loan program was stolen from the Canadian Canola Growers Association.

------

The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance says hemp is at the point where canola was 30 years ago.

Spokesperson Keith Watson says there's been an average of 20 per cent growth in the hemp industry over the last five years.

Yields were lower than normal for this year's hemp crop.

Height was around average.

Watson says the cool weather set the crop back.

------

About 140-thousand people are expected to pass through the gates at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina.

The show opened on the weekend.

President Marilynn Charlton says the event will showcase close to four-thousand head of livestock.

The opening weekend featured the draft horse show, the ranch rodeo, cowboy heritage art and exhibits for acreages.